8 Tips for Getting Stronger Erections-and Staying Hard

If you have a penis, then you know it has a tendency to be a little, uh, temperamental sometimes. When you want it to stay hard during sexual activity, it goes soft.

Then, when you finally manage to sustain an erection, you end up ejaculating too quickly. It doesn’t get along so well alcohol, even when you’re in a sexually arousing situation, and—speaking of substances—studies show there might be a link between erectile dysfunction and smoking weed. It also tends to show up in a big way at inopportune times, like in the middle of your important presentation for work. As far as sources of pleasure go, the penis can be pretty damn frustrating.

According to a study published in the American Journal of Medicine, 85 percent of penis-owning men between the ages of 20 and 39 say they “always” or “almost always” can get and maintain an erection, which means 15 percent of men in the prime of their life have a tough time getting hard, at least occasionally. The same study found that of men between the ages of 40-59, only 20 percent said they could get a healthy enough erection for sex most of the time. In other words, solid wood is far from a foregone conclusion.

Though you may never be able to predict how your penis will behave with 100 percent accuracy, there are steps you can take to make sure that when it comes time to perform, your erections are as healthy and strong as they can be. So without further ado, here are 16 tips to help you stay hard.

1) Try a cock ring.

Did you know that a cock ring can help you maintain an erection? This O-shaped toy fits around your penis and helps keep blood in the shaft, where you want it. A cock ring also helps prevent venous leakage, a form of erectile dysfunction where blood flows to your penis, but has trouble staying there. (Giddy, a new cock-ring-like gadget designed to treat ED, may also help guys with venous leakage maintain stronger erections.)

2) Work your Kegel exercises.

The pelvic floor muscles play a role in sexual activity, explains Robert Valenzuela, MD, a board-certified urologist and Promescent medical advisor. “Contractions of the pelvic floor muscles (called Kegels) help produce an increase in the penis pressure and the rigidity of the penis.” In simpler words, Kegel exercises—where you contract and release your pelvic floor muscles—can help strengthen your erections. Here are some tips on exactly how to practice Kegel exercises.

Kegel exercises are also a component of a practice known as “penis rehabilitation,” adds Michael Ingber, MD, a urologist and urogynecologist at Garden State Urology. “Just like after shoulder surgery, when you might see a physical therapist to work on the muscles, strengthening them, and increasing range of motion, the same thing is true for the penis, the muscles, and nerves that play a role in erectile function.” That’s why many urologists recommend early penile rehabilitation—which includes Kegels—shortly after events that affect the erectile nerves of the penis, such as prostate cancer surgery. “This is done in conjunction with medical therapies like Viagra,” Ingber says.

3) Watch what you eat.

According to WebMD, research has shown that foods bad for the heart are also bad for the penis—which makes sense, since the heart and penis both depend on blood flow to function properly. The Mediterranean diet—which includes, fruits, whole grains, heart-healthy fats like nuts and olive oil, red wine, and vegetables—is a good place to start.

“The link between the Mediterranean diet and improved sexual function has been scientifically established,” Irwin Goldstein, MD, director of sexual medicine at Alvarado Hospital in San Diego, told WedMD.

4) Hit the gym.

According to Ryan Berglund, MD, a urologist at the Cleveland Clinic, bloodflow is the key to a healthy erection, and there’s nothing that encourages bloodflow like aerobic exercise. Not only does it keep you in shape, it builds the body’s nitric oxide, which helps maintain erections.

While running is great, stay off the bike if you can help it. “Endurance cyclists who spend a long time on their bike seats may have more trouble with ED,” says Erin Michos, MD, an associate professor of Medicine at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine.

“This is because bike riding can compress the pudendal artery, which provides blood flow to the penis,” Ingber adds. “Using a special bike seat (split-seat) along with wearing special shorts can help prevent ED.”

5) Put the cigarettes away.

In a study conducted at the University of Kentucky, researchers found that when asked to rate their sex lives on a scale of 1 to 10, men who smoked averaged about a 5, while nonsmokers rated theirs a 9.

One reason is that smoking is a known cause of impotence, and there’s some evidence that smoking affects erection strength—and size. In one study, researchers found that smokers’ penises are smaller than those belonging to nonsmokers.

“In addition to damaging blood vessels, smoking may cause damage to penile tissue itself, making it less elastic and preventing it from stretching,” says Goldstein.

We have yet to hear a better reason to quit.

6) But keep a pot of coffee on.

Though few things are worse for your erection than a cigarette habit, coffee can actually help you out below the belt. A study by the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston found that men who consumed the caffeine equivalent of 2-3 cups of coffee per day were less likely to suffer from erectile dysfunction than those who preferred to wake up with caffeine-free beverages.

7) Get a vasectomy.

If you’re finished producing offspring (or you’re sure you don’t want kids), consider investing in permanent renovations at the sperm factory.

“The risk of a contraceptive failure can be a big source of anxiety for some men, especially those who’ve had a birth-control disaster—or a scare—in the past,” says Karen Donahey, Ph.D., director of the sex- and marital-therapy program at Northwestern University.

That anxiety can, in turn, lead to erection problems—and cause the same vicious circle that makes performance anxiety such a mood killer.

But if there’s no sperm, the risk of pregnancy is beyond minuscule: A properly performed vasectomy has an effectiveness rate of 99.9%. Depending on your insurance situation, the procedure typically costs between $0 and $1,000, according to Planned Parenthood.

“Many of my patients end up paying $0 for them if they have low deductible plans,” Ingber says. “We can often do these in the office setting, with a local anesthesia, which can minimize cost for some patients.”

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8) Stay faithful.

It’s common for men who start having affairs to stop having erections. So common, in fact, that doctors who treat erectile dysfunction often ask their patients if they’re getting any action on the side.

Unless you’re in an open or polyamorous relationship, you’re bound to feel at least a little guilty when you have sex with your partner. Guilt can turn to anxiety, and that can kill an erection.